Unlocking Darkness (Keys to Love Series, Book Five) Read online

  Allie leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. She wasn’t one of those people who bared her soul on social media, and she’d always been selective about who she allowed into her personal space. Mitch was one of the few, and only because of circumstances neither one of them had been able to avoid when serving together.

  “I take it something changed in the last twenty-four hours?” Jay glanced down at the file he’d been studying when she’d walked into the station. “Did you know that the unsub was going to go after Charlene Winston?”

  “I wasn’t one hundred percent positive, but Shelby Tilmadge’s impromptu confession fast-forwarded the unsub’s timeline.” Allie figured Jay had already figured that one out, but no one could have foreseen the attack on a key player in the media, thereby sacrificing his access to the public. Maybe an angry letter or even an attempt to reach out by phone, but not an abduction. “You need to issue a press release. You need to drop the fact that Charlene Winston didn’t come from a broken home, and you need to do it in a manner that isn’t too conspicuous.”

  “I can’t take that chance, and you know it. The unsub will kill her, if he hasn’t already. He’ll feel deceived and manipulated. He’ll lash out at her and dump the mutilated body in the middle of Main Street as an example of what happens when law enforcement officials attempt to intervene in his life.”

  “No, he won’t.” Allie wasn’t one hundred percent positive of that fact, but Charlene Winston was definitely going to die at some point if they didn’t try something. “This unsub has only ever once veered off from his supposed sainthood project of building a family—Deputy Wallace.”

  “And he’s six feet under, Allie, which tells me that the unsub doesn’t care who he has to kill.” Jay didn’t bother to take a drink of coffee. He left the steaming cup on the table as he leaned back in his chair. “Your minute is up, although I do have a question. If you had been at the B&B last night, who do you think I’d be looking for today?”

  “Fine. So, this isn’t rocket science.” Allie wasn’t going to get Jay to see things her way unless she came totally clean, which she’d already decided to do before stepping foot inside the police station. She just had not expected that baring her soul to a colleague would be this hard. “I’m the unsub’s ideal victim.”

  Jay blinked twice before slightly tilting his head to the side, almost as if he couldn’t quite believe she’d capitulated so easily.

  “I was raised by an alcoholic father. I ran away twice before I turned sixteen, and I had my dad sign off on a parental consent form so I could enlist. He signed so that I could go into the Marines at the age of seventeen.” Allie summed her life up as if she were the subject of a random profile note. She didn’t often dwell on her past, because it had no bearing on her future. She’d accepted that long ago. “Jay, we know that the unsub prefers younger victims who were abandoned early in their lives or led a troubled life. That changed when he chose to abduct Whitney Bell. She was older, but her alcoholic father failed her. It was his failing health that brought her back to town. Age no longer matters. The unsub is hurt that the residents can’t recognize his genuine need for a family, he’s angry that everything he’s built has been dismantled, and worst of all…he’s lonely. His family has been taken from him.”

  The lines of various telephones around the station continued to ring before either rolling over to what Allie assumed was the county’s 911 system or to voicemail. The hum of the mini-refrigerator drowned out the steady hiss of the coffee machine, but all the droning resonances of the station couldn’t hide Jay’s sigh of acknowledgment.

  “And what? You’re the perfect sister he never had?”

  Allie allowed Jay to have his moment of witticism, but the fact that he didn’t kick her out of the police station told her that he recognized the benefit of what she was offering.

  “I’ve inadvertently laid the groundwork.” Okay, so Allie had definitely stretched the truth there, but the foundation had been laid all the same. “We’re all on the same page when it comes to the outline of the unsub’s identity. He’s embedded in this town. As of today, there isn’t a resident in Blyth Lake who doesn’t know that I come from a single parent home and that I used the military as a way to get out.”

  Jay ran a hand over his face as he considered the ramifications of screwing this up, and it didn’t surprise her when he stood and began to pace while clicking the end of the pen in his hand. He’d done the same thing back when they were in the academy and working on one the various scenarios given to them by their instructors.

  “It’s not the usual way we do things, Allie.” Jay was most likely considering the fallout of such a plan. It was a solid lead, and he would eventually come to the right conclusion. “I have to ask—whose idea was this?”

  “It sure as hell wasn’t mine,” Mitch exclaimed in anger as he barged into the station. She’d heard the small buzzer that indicated someone had walked through the door, and she didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. This confrontation was bound to happen, but she’d done what she’d set out to do—give Special Agent Jay Thorne the option of using her in an official capacity. “Thorne, disregard everything you’ve just heard. Allie is leaving first thing in the morning, and we’re going to remain behind and work this case the way we’ve been—”

  “And where exactly is that getting you?” Allie interjected, standing to her feet and facing the man who’d brought her to this tiny little town. “Why are we going back and forth on this, Ken? You called me for one reason only—to help you catch this son of a bitch who’d been terrorizing young girls for over a decade. I’m here. I’m standing right in front of you and offering—”

  “You’re offering yourself up as some sort of sacrificial lamb, and you damn well know the killer has the initiative.”

  Mitch was completely focused on her, ignoring the fact there were other people in the station. The deputy had clearly finished up his phone call and didn’t feign disinterest on what was happening across the room. She wasn’t going to have this confrontation spiral out of control when the answer was right in front of their faces.

  “I’m doing the job you asked me to do, Mitch,” Allie replied quietly, refusing to be drawn into an argument where there didn’t have to be one.

  She’d purposefully used his nickname, which she rarely exercised when addressing him. Hell, the last time she’d said his given name had been when they were in her bed that night. The way his blue eyes had become heated lasers told she’d done her job in halting an argument that had a real chance of getting completely out of control.

  “In case either of you have forgotten, Allie was never assigned to this case.” Jay pulled both of their attentions his way as he stood in front of the whiteboard with too many young faces on display. “With that said, she’s got an idea that could possibly save some lives.”

  It was impossible to miss the way Mitch’s jawline became taut in his attempt to restrain his reply. Maybe she hadn’t done such a good job in diffusing his anger.

  Without thinking, Allie stepped forward and took ahold of Mitch’s hand. She waited until he dragged his heated gaze from Jay to focus on her.

  “You’re allowing this to become personal,” Allie said softly, needing him to take a step back from their friendship. “It’s pretty simple. You called me, I’m here, and Jay can spin my involvement with his supervisor so that we can wrap up this darkness that has fallen over your town. I’m not understanding why you can’t recognize that, Mitch.”

  He studied her carefully as he tightened his grip on her hand. He’d always been stubborn, but that gesture alone should have told her that it would take more than a few sentences to convince him to see things her way. She never expected what came next.

  “You’re the one not truly understanding things here, Allie.” Mitch pulled her even closer as he leaned down so that only she could hear his words. He was attempting to once again change the foundation of their friendship, and she wasn’t so sure sh
e didn’t want to follow his lead. “This is personal for me.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “If you grit your teeth any harder, you’ll be swallowing a mouthful of broken enamel.”

  Gwen wasn’t able to cover up her wince of discomfort with a smile fast enough as she took a seat on the porch. Even the dim yellow bug light his father had put in the fixture next to the front door couldn’t hide the fact that the stitches in her side still bothered her.

  In the span of twenty-four hours, old feelings had resurfaced that he’d long since thought had been put to rest. He and Allie both agreed that they made better friends than lovers. It had been a mutual agreement given the circumstances at the time. He still believed that they’d made the right choice, but his heart had other ideas. She wasn’t just city through and through. She was big city to the limit. There was no changing that.

  Hell, Allie’s entire personal and professional life revolved in or immediately around D.C.

  She might commute daily to Quantico, but she craved the busy streets, the culture, the nightlife, and her exclusive circle of tight lifelong friends. It was all she’d known growing up, and it was doubtful that she’d ever want to leave.

  “You know, we can drive Allie to your house after dessert if you need to head back into town to issue marching orders for the evening shift tonight,” Gwen offered, curling her legs underneath herself as she settled into the cushion. “I can only imagine that Agent Thorne and his team are working around the clock to figure out where Charlene Winston has been taken. With every child in town out hunting for the best treats on Halloween, you might just have your hands full.”

  “No, I’ll take Allie home.”

  Mitch hadn’t told his family yet of the plan that Allie, Jay, and the agent’s team had worked on while the earlier round of trick or treaters marched through town collecting pieces of candy from the various shops on Main Street prior to the big event tonight. Even though nearly every shop had participated and the event had gone off without a hitch, there hadn’t been a parent who’d been smiling throughout the evening.

  Everyone was on high alert.

  All thoughts were on the fact that another woman had gone missing right under their noses, and neither the sheriff’s department nor the FBI had any idea of how to find her.

  “I know it’s none of my business, but you were the one who in fact invited Allie here to Blyth Lake. I know she’s an old friend you thought could help you catch this son of a bitch, but the least you could do is be nice to her while she’s still here.” Gwen pulled her jacket tighter around her neck when a gust of wind blew some leaves across the old wooden porch. “You’ve had a frown on your face since you walked through the door…without the required side dish, I might add.”

  Mitch refrained from snapping at his sister that he hadn’t had time to bake a side dish with the recent abduction and all, but she didn’t deserve his wrath. She’d been through enough personally, and he needed to focus on the problems at hand. Besides, she’d only made mention of it in jest to get him to lighten his mood. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen until he could put Allie in a car or a plane where she’d be safe and sound.

  “Allie has Dad wrapped around her pinky finger,” Mitch said, staring out into the dark abyss. Not even a sliver of a crescent moon had dared grace the darkness of this Halloween. “He doesn’t even realize I stepped outside.”

  “Allie will when she smells that damn cigarette smoke on you.” Gwen raised an eyebrow as if she’d succeeded in catching Mitch red-handed revisiting a habit he’d kicked long ago. He refrained from calling it a filthy practice, because cigarettes had gotten him through some tough times in Corps. “By the way, I like her.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, but as for lighting up a cig…I haven’t smoked since the day I signed my papers.”

  “I’m just teasing you, dear brother.” Gwen sighed and turned her head toward the screen door. “I wish I’d thought to bring us out some coffee, though. I didn’t want to interrupt Dad. He was busy telling Allie stories of when you wanted to grow up to be G.I. Joe.”

  “At the rate he tells that shaggy dog, we won’t be having coffee until tomorrow morning.” Mitch would have gone inside to get his sister that cup of coffee she wanted, but it was just his luck that he received a text message. One glance told him all he needed to know. “Let’s head inside. There’s something—”

  “Mitch!”

  “Hey, you two,” Noah said, sticking his head out the screened door. Did he really think that they hadn’t heard Lance’s bellow? “Breaking news on the television.”

  Mitch took the few steps to the loveseat that his parents always sat on together when enjoying the cooler weather in the evenings. Gwen smiled her appreciation as she took ahold of his hand, using him as leverage to stand.

  “You don’t look surprised,” Gwen noted, taking a step ahead of him and brushing past Noah. “Whatever is going on, Mitch, you can tell us. We have your back.”

  Mitch caught Allie’s gaze, and he could see that she figured out what was about to be announced on the local television station. Had Lance used the remote to switch to a national one, the result would have been the same—a press release giving an update on Charlene Winston, which was purposefully worded to include that both of her parents were worried sick over her abduction.

  “I know you do, sis.” Mitch wasn’t surprised to see Chad cross the room to come stand behind Gwen. “But I’m sheriff, and this isn’t on you. Enjoy your homecoming, let your man take care of you, and work up a retirement plan for me…I don’t want to be dealing with this shit in my sixties.”

  Mitch had always told his siblings that there wasn’t anything so horrible in life that it couldn’t be fixed with a simple choice.

  He’d been wrong.

  A simple phone call to an old friend had spiraled out of control, and there didn’t seem to be a damned thing he could do to change the upcoming course of events. This press release was only the beginning of their gambit.

  “Shit,” Lance muttered, watching the news as he whipped out his cell phone. No doubt that he was texting Brynn, who was at The Cavern tonight and couldn’t make dinner. From what Mitch heard, she and Allie had already met. Or Lance could have been reaching out to Irish. “This isn’t a good development.”

  “Mitch, is there something you want to fill us all in on?” Jace asked from his spot next to Shae. The two of them were on one side of the couch, while Reese Woodward sat on the other end where Noah was resting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not like we’re not all in on this together.”

  Mitch met Allie’s gaze, and he wasn’t surprised when she shook her head in the minimalist manner. No one else caught her slight warning, but he understood the dangerous terrain they’d begun to travel on as per this afternoon’s plan.

  His family had been thrown a lot with each homecoming, and he had a decision to make.

  Allie wasn’t going to like the choice he made and neither was Thorne. They weren’t used to the inner workings of a small town, but Mitch had figured out a way to keep his family at bay while allowing this new plan he didn’t actually agree with unfold.

  “There’s been a shift in the investigation, and Allie will be an integral part of the case on her visit here in Blyth Lake.” Everyone began to speak at once, so Mitch held up his hand so that he could finish his announcement. He wanted this over and done with so that he could take Allie back to his house and finally have a conversation that they’d both ignored for too long. “I trust Agent Thorne as the lead investigator on this manhunt, and so should you. As far as you are all concerned, nothing has changed and nothing is to be said outside of this house. Agreed?”

  By this time, Allie had crossed her arms and was studying everyone’s reaction. Her attention seemed to linger on Lance the longest, which wasn’t a surprise. He would be the most vocal when it came to being kept in the dark.

  Mitch’s speech would no doubt be taken out of context by nearly everyone prese
nt. He had made it sound as if Allie would be officially helping in her role as a profile when in actuality she was basically being used as bait to catch a killer. Eventually, one of his siblings would figure it out…most likely Gwen would be the most circumspect. She tended to be observant of potential speech indicators and body language more quickly than the others.

  “Could we have a word in private?” Gus asked quietly as he nodded toward the kitchen. “There’s something you should know. Noah, could you watch the door for more trick or treaters, please?”

  Mitch’s day hadn’t gone quite as planned, and he wasn’t looking forward to more bad news. Whatever his father had to say most likely had to do with the case. Unfortunately, there were certain questions that Mitch wasn’t at liberty to answer.

  “Of course.” Mitch ignored the twinge that had settled in his hip around sixteen hundred hours. That was the usual time when he began to feel the dull ache inhabit the muscles surrounding the pins, plates, and screws his service had left him with. Standing all day certainly didn’t help him in that regard. “Let me just tell Allie that we’re heading out in five minutes.”

  Mitch crossed the room to do just that, but she was already engaged in conversation with Chad now that the broadcast was over. The discussion was regarding the bonfire he’d thrown the fateful night that Emma Irwin had gone missing. The man had probably told that story a thousand times since then, so it had probably become rather rote in the consistency. Hell, Mitch could recite the tale by this point. He considered it a dry well by now.

  “Five minutes,” Mitch murmured to Allie, nodding an apology to Chad for the interruption. “Dad just wants to have a quick word with me.”

  “Is everything alright?” Allie must have witnessed the concern Gus had displayed, but there wasn’t anything Mitch could say to alleviate her concern until he spoke with his dad. It was probably nothing and just a word of caution that a father would relay to a son, anyway. “I can—”